Biketoberfest 2007

Tens of thousands of motorcycles will be roaring through Volusia County starting today for the annual Biketoberfest. The 15-year-old event, a little leather-clad brother to bigger Bike Week in March, is based in Daytona Beach but has now spread throughout the county and beyond. Whether you're crazy for choppers or choppers make you crazy, here's the top 10 things you need to know about the four-day bike rally:

1. Tattoos.

For the first time, the folks behind Biketoberfest are offering a memento that will last far longer than a mug or a T-shirt. Staff members at Ormond Beach's Asylum Studios, who also happen to be the official tattoo artists of the event, will be ready to brand your body with the event's stylized logo and the words "Biketoberfest 2007." Confused about where to put your souvenir tattoo? You're on your own. Biketoberfest spokeswoman Georgia Turner said there's no official place to put it.

2. Moto-crowds.

Many roads and parking lots will be covered in a thick layer of motorcycles. Organizers expect about 75,000 to 100,000 people, but they say that's just an estimate and it's nearly impossible to count the true number of participants. International Speedway Boulevard will be especially busy. As will U.S. Highway 1 in Ormond Beach, State Road A1A between Seabreeze Boulevard and Silver Beach Avenue, and Main Street in Daytona Beach. Bike Week in March is much bigger, attracting an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people.

3. Noise.

If motorcycles don't spin your wheels, you'll want to stay away. Frank Heckman, chairman of the Beachside Neighborhood Watch in Daytona Beach, said the event has been getting quieter through the years, but if you have a noise complaint, you can call the local police. Daytona Beach police are at 386-671- 5100. Throaty motorcycle pipes can hit more than 100 decibels, which Eric Zwerling, president of the Noise Consultancy at Rutgers University, said can be as ear-blasting as the dance floor of a loud nightclub.

4. Fashion police.

If you view clothing as optional, be careful. A Daytona Beach ordinance bans nudity and indecent exposure within 500 feet of any establishment serving alcohol. Daytona Beach police say they'll be cracking down, especially on strip clubs. And, sorry, body paint and G-strings won't cut it. Wet T-shirt contests are still OK and will be easy to find throughout the area.

5. Tunes.

More than 30 entertainers will be crooning throughout the weekend. Southern rock band Blackfoot will be at the Inlet Harbor Restaurant and Marina in Ponce Inlet from 5 to 6:30 p.m. today. On Saturday, the Led Zeppelin Tribute Band will jam at Gargoylez Grill in Daytona Beach. If you're looking for something a little more soulful, check out the Daytona Blues Society at the Ocean Center today and Friday. For the official calendar of events, go to biketoberfest.org.

6. Harleys and hops.

Bars across the area are preparing for the event with thousands of cases of beer. Biketoberfest mainstay the Iron Horse in Ormond Beach estimates that it will sell 96,000 bottles of beer. Sopotnick's Cabbage Patch in Samsula, where you can catch women cole-slaw wrestling on Saturday, expects to sell 24,000 to 36,000 bottles. Both establishments say Bud Light is the top seller. But motorcyclists who prefer merlots may want to hit the DeLand Wine Festival on Saturday.

7. Accidents can be deadly.

Last year, six people died after accidents at Biketoberfest. Daytona Beach police Chief Michael Chitwood said bikers should never drink and drive, should make sure that they know the roads and should avoid being overconfident, a problem for some baby-boomer bikers who only ride a few times a year. If you're bold enough to cruise Biketoberfest in a car, be especially aware of your surroundings.

8. Pets can be tricked out too.

Bruce Rossmeyer's Daytona Harley-Davidson store in Ormond Beach has an entire line of doggie T-shirts, food dishes and toys emblazoned with the Harley logo. Perhaps your kitty would look catty in a rhinestone-decorated orange collar? Or would your pooch impress the other dogs if you walked him on a Bad to the Bone leash?

9. You can bless your bike.

At 1 p.m. every day through Sunday, Grace Episcopal Church in Port Orange will have a short worship service. The Rev. Marlowe Iverson will pray and sprinkle motorcycles with holy water -- unless the biker has fears of holy-water spots and streaks. "We ask first," said Esther Hatchett, parish secretary. "I know some of them spend days polishing."

10. Weather.

Lots of leather might get a little stuffy during the weekend. The National Weather Service is predicting highs in the upper 80s and a 50 percent chance of rain today through Saturday. The temperatures are expected to stay the same, but any rain clouds should clear up by Sunday. Biker beachgoers might sneeze and cough a little once they hit the surf. A bloom of red tide, algae that can cause cold-like symptoms, surfaced in the area two weeks ago and has been flaring up occasionally. But its effects are unlikely to stretch past the sand.